Why Ministries and Global Outreach Organizations Need to Celebrate National Insurance Awareness Day 2017

National Insurance Awareness Day is celebrated every year on June 28^th. This is a perfect day for churches and ministries to review their insurance coverage.  Every type of insurance is important – from health to disability to auto, etc. So why should we celebrate this seemingly random day?  For one thing, it helps us to remember to either obtain insurance that we need, or to make certain that our current insurance is up-to-date, but what I’d like to discuss today is international medical insurance for churches, ministries, and other organizations planning mission trips.

Many churches think that if their travelers become ill or injured while traveling abroad, their domestic insurance policies will cover them. However, most U.S. domestic policies do not provide coverage if you travel outside of the U.S., and will not cover an accident or illness occurring abroad. A separate international policy is needed to help cover missionaries abroad. As a sending organization or trip coordinator, you have a responsibility to protect your travelers during any mission or humanitarian trip.

GROUP TRAVEL

Plans that offer insurance for groups participating in mission trips often include crisis management protocols  should something like a death in the group occur, or civil unrest in the country in which you are visiting, customized plans for your specific group, relationships with your carrier, service metrics, services for family members who have not made the trip, guest speakers on topics specific to mission trips abroad, and hands-on claim assistance.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL INSURANCE

There are plans available for both short-term mission trips, lasting two days to one year and long-term trips for those who will be living outside of their home country for extended periods of time. Having travel medical insurance in place also ensures that if one of your group members is injured or becomes ill, they will go to the best medical facility in the area.

TRIP CANCELLATION PLANS

Travel Insurance or, trip cancellation protection, insures your financial investment in your trip.  Typically it covers such things as the cost of your lost baggage and cancelled flights, but it may or may not cover costs of medical attention you might need while abroad. Travel Medical Insurance covers the cost of various levels of overseas medical treatment, says www.travel.state.gov.

To sum it all up, let’s all celebrate National Insurance Awareness Day by making sure that we have the insurance we need for every situation.  For more information on insurance plans that can protect your ministry or groups traveling abroad, click here.